Peanut oral immunotherapy decreases IgE to Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 but does not enhance sensitization to cross-reactive allergens

Non peer reviewe

Dynamics and Hadronization at intermediate transverse momentum at RHIC

The ultra-relativistic heavy-ion program at RHIC has shown that at intermediate transverse momenta ($p_T \simeq 2$-6 GeV) standard (independent) parton fragmentation can neither describe the observed baryon-to-meson ratios nor the empirical scaling of the hadronic elliptic flow ($v_2$) according to the number of valence quarks. Both aspects find instead a natural explanation in a coalescence plus fragmentation approach to hadronization. After a brief review of the main results for light quarks, we focus on heavy quarks showing that a combined fragmentation and quark-coalescence framework is relevant also here. Moreover, within relativistic Langevin simulations we find evidence for the importance of heavy-light resonances in the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) to explain the strong energy loss and collective flow of heavy-quark spectra as inferred from non-photonic electron observables. Such heavy-light resonances can pave the way to a unified understanding of the microscopic structure of the QGP and its subsequent hadronization by coalescence.Comment: Proceedings of the International Workshop on QCD - Martina Franca (Italy), June 2007. To be published in AIP. 6 pages, 6 figure

Comparing women's financial costs of induced abortion at a facility vs. seeking treatment for complications from unsafe abortion in Zambia.

Although abortion is legal in Zambia under a variety of broad conditions, unsafe abortion remains common. The purpose of this project was to compare the financial costs for women when they have an induced abortion at a facility, with costs for an induced abortion outside a facility, followed by care for abortion-related complications. We gathered household wealth data at one point in time (T1) and longitudinal qualitative data at two points in time (T1 and T2, three-four months later), in Lusaka and Kafue districts, between 2014 and 2015. The data were collected from women (n = 38) obtaining a legal termination of pregnancy (TOP), or care for unsafe abortions (CUA). The women were recruited from four health facilities (two hospitals and two private clinics, one of each per district). At T2, CUA cost women, on average, 520 ZMW (USD 81), while TOP cost women, on average, 396 ZMW (USD 62). About two-thirds of the costs had been incurred by T1, while an additional one-third of the total costs was incurred between T1 and T2. Women in all three wealth tertiles sought a TOP in a health facility or an unsafe abortion outside a facility. Women who obtained CUA tended to be further removed from the money that was used to pay for their abortion care. Women's financial dependence leaves them unequipped to manage a financial shock such as an abortion. Improved TOP and post-abortion care are needed to reduce the health sequelae women experience after both types of abortion-related care

Structural basis for the homotypic fusion of chlamydial inclusions by the SNARE-like protein IncA.

Many intracellular bacteria, including Chlamydia, establish a parasitic membrane-bound organelle inside the host cell that is essential for the bacteria\u27s survival. Chlamydia trachomatis forms inclusions that are decorated with poorly characterized membrane proteins known as Incs. The prototypical Inc, called IncA, enhances Chlamydia pathogenicity by promoting the homotypic fusion of inclusions and shares structural and functional similarity to eukaryotic SNAREs. Here, we present the atomic structure of the cytoplasmic domain of IncA, which reveals a non-canonical four-helix bundle. Structure-based mutagenesis, molecular dynamics simulation, and functional cellular assays identify an intramolecular clamp that is essential for IncA-mediated homotypic membrane fusion during infection

Aufklärung molekularer Mechanismen, die bei der Mineralisierung glatter Gefäßmuskelzellen unter urämischen Bedingungen ablaufen

Owing to the limited availability of therapeutic strategies addressing VC and the substantial number of affected patients, a clinical demand persists for pharmaceutical interventions capable of hindering, decelerating, or potentially reverse the onset of VC. Therefore, the vascular scientific community works to shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism with the final aim of developing new predicting clinical markers. New tools are needed to make the screening of potential therapeutic targets not only better adaptable to different experimental settings but also more compliant with the 3Rs principles, the pillars of ethical conduct in biomedical research. Enhancing the specificity and high-throughput applicability of VC detection assays is the main purpose of this work which was executed with the additional aim to downscale the number of sacrificed animals. To reach such goals here is developed a novel protocol for the detection of HAP in ex vivo rat tissue and in primary VSMC in vitro employing the HAP- specific probe OS™. To verify the reliability of the newly developed method, the results were compared to those obtained via canonical pre-existing assays such as the photometric detection of calcium content and Alizarin Red S staining within both cells and tissue. To address the ethical question orbiting around animal burden the in vitro segment of this work was further tested using an alternative immortalized vascular cell line MOVAS. Despite all the evidence supporting a role for the Nlrp3 inflammasome in VC its functioning upon calcification or environmental stressors milieu is yet to be fully explained. Therefore, in the terminal part of this research, we aim to investigate the activation of NRLs during VC and premature senescence upon stimulation with an immunosuppressive stressor addressed by the commercial name of DOX (or Adriamycin). The principle that this part of the project aims to demonstrate is that stressor-induced senescence in VSMC leads to a pro-inflammatory response mediated by the Nlrp3 inflammasome with a subsequent increase in senescence signalling and the overall amount of VC. To do so ROS, DNA damage and inflammation were induced in rat VSMC and thoracic aorta via DOX, with ultimate evaluation of both senescence and calcification.Hintergrund: Die vaskuläre Kalzifizierung (VC) ist eine systemische Störung der Gefäße, bei der es zu einer Ablagerung von Hydroxyapatit (HAP) in der Gefäßwand kommt. Neben verschiedenen Mediatoren und Inhibitoren, ist die chronische Nierenkrankheit (CKD) ein wichtiger Risikofaktor. Derzeit fehlen robuste therapeutische Ansätze. Um die zugrundeliegenden molekularen Mechanismen zu untersuchen, optimierte experimentelle Methode sind notwendig. Das Zeil dieser Studie ist es, ein schnelles und zuverlässiges Arbeitsprotokoll zur spezifischen HAP- Detektion in primären und sekundären Zelllinien sowie Geweben unter Verwendung des fluoreszierenden Farbstoffs OsteoSense™680 EX (OSTM) zu etablieren. Des Weiteren wurden zentrale Signalwege in der VC Pathogenese in vitro und ex vivo charakterisiert. Methoden: Ein hochphosphathaltiges Medium diente als positiv Kontrolle zur Induktion von VC in vitro und ex vivo. Das Ausmaß der HAP Ablagerung und Seneszenz wurde durch Färbung mittels OSTM und γ-H2A.x-spezifischem Antikörper bewertet. Ergebnisse: OSTM war in der Lage, Mikro- und Makroverkalkungen ex vivo und in vitro auf Einzelzellebene spezifisch anzufärben. Das Protokoll ermöglichte eine Multiplex- Färbung sowie den Nachweis von VC in einem CKD-Tiermodell. Darüber hinaus konnte eine Rolle der stressinduzierten Entzündung bei der Auslösung von VC über das Nlrp3-Inflammasom aufgezeigt werden. Schließlich zeigte MOVAS Unterschiede in der Genexpression von CKD-Markern während des Alterungsprozesses, was die Zuverlässigkeit seiner Langzeitanwendung bei der Verwendung von immortalisierten Zellen in vaskulären Experimenten in Frage stellt. Schlussfolgerungen: OSTM ist ein leistungsfähiges Werkzeug zur Erkennung früher subtiler osteogener Aktivitäten im Gefäßsystem und zeigt in dieser Arbeit sein Potenzial zur Verbesserung von Verkalkungstests. Weitere Untersuchungen sind erforderlich, um zu zeigen, für welche experimentellen Ansätze MOVAS eine geeignete Alternative darstellen könnten, um primäre Zellen zumindest teilweise zu ersetzen. So könnte ein wichtiger Beitrag im Sinne des 3Rs-Prinzips von Russel und Burch zur Verbesserung tierexperimeteller Forschung zu leisten. Die Blockierung der Inhibition der pattern recognition receptors (PPRs) könnte eine therapeutische Strategie zur Behandlung systemischer Gefäßerkrankungen sein

A Method to screen U.S. environmental biomonitoring data for race/ethnicity and income-related disparity

BACKGROUND: Environmental biomonitoring data provide one way to examine race/ethnicity and income-related exposure disparity and identify potential environmental justice concerns. METHODS: We screened U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2008 biomonitoring data for 228 chemicals for race/ethnicity and income-related disparity. We defined six subgroups by race/ethnicity—Mexican American, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white—and income—Low Income: poverty income ratio (PIR) <2, High Income: PIR ≥ 2. We assessed disparity by comparing the central tendency (geometric mean [GM]) of the biomonitoring concentrations of each subgroup to that of the reference subgroup (non-Hispanic white/High Income), adjusting for multiple comparisons using the Holm-Bonferroni procedure. RESULTS: There were sufficient data to estimate at least one geometric mean ratio (GMR) for 108 chemicals; 37 had at least one GMR statistically different from one. There was evidence of potential environmental justice concern (GMR significantly >1) for 12 chemicals: cotinine; antimony; lead; thallium; 2,4- and 2,5-dichlorophenol; p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene; methyl and propyl paraben; and mono-ethyl, mono-isobutyl, and mono-n-butyl phthalate. There was also evidence of GMR significantly <1 for 25 chemicals (of which 17 were polychlorinated biphenyls). CONCLUSIONS: Although many of our results were consistent with the U.S. literature, findings relevant to environmental justice were novel for dichlorophenols and some metals

Nurses\u27 Alumnae Association Bulletin - Volume 18 Number 1

Alumnae Notes Central Dressing Room Committee Reports Digest of Alumnae Association Meetings Graduation Awards - 1952 Greetings from Miss Childs Greetings from the President Marriages Modern Trends in Orthopaedic Surgery Necrology New Arrivals Physical Advances at Jefferson Hospital - 1953 Staff Activities - 1952-1953 Student Activities The Artificial Heart Lung Machin

Set in Stone: Recontextualizing the Lithic Assemblage of a Seventeenth-Century Storage Cellar in Charlestown, Massachusetts

Feature 43 is a domestic structure that belonged to the wealthy seventeenth-century merchant community of Charlestown, Massachusetts, and was excavated in the early 1980s as part of the Maudlin Archaeological District. The extant collection has remained in storage for the last thirty years, demanding a recontextualization of the site, both in provenience and in historical context. Primary sources portray an image of a predominantly European settler household; however, a counter-narrative emerges from lithics found within the assemblage. While the ultimate goal is to analyze the patterns of lithic sourcing and production in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the findings hinge on the reconstruction of the site’s archaeological context. Initial archaeological interpretations did not focus on the locally-sourced lithics found within the assemblage as their provenience, like most of the collection, remains subject to debate. Through a series of distribution analyses, the ambiguity of the lithic assemblage is clarified, and its site provenience is reestablished. Upon establishing context, this project employs a lithic analysis in order to reexamine early colonial interactions between European settlers and Native Americans and to evaluate the nature of the material relationship between the two communities as manifested in colonial assemblages

Unraveling the adipose tissue proteome of transition cows through severe negative energy balance

Fat mobilization in high-yielding dairy cows during early lactation occurs to overcome negative energy balance (NEB), caused by insufficient feed intake and the concomitant increased nutritional requirements. For this reason, adipose tissue represents an essential organ for healthy and performant lactation. However, only a few data are known about adipose tissue proteome and its metabolic status during peripartum. The aim of this study was to analyze the differential proteomics profiles of subcutaneous adipose tissue belonging to cows with different NEB scores (low NEB and severe NEB). Both groups were analyzed at three different time points (one month before calving, one and sixteen weeks after calving) that were related to different levels and rates of adipose tissue mobilization. The dataset highlighted the differential expression of the same four key proteins (annexin A2, actin-related protein 10, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and fatty acid-binding protein) involved in lipid metabolism during all time points and of other 22 proteins typical of the other comparisons among remaining time points. The obtained dataset suggested that the individual variability in adipose tissue metabolism/mobilization/energy availability could be linked to the different outcomes in levels of energy balance and related physical complications among dairy cows during peripartum

History of nematology in Italy

Notwithstanding nematology is a rather new science, in Italy the first observations and publications on nematodes date back to several centuries ago and are from physicians and botanists. Among them are U. Aldrovandi (1522-1605), who was the first in the word to observe nematodes in insects, and F. Redi, who published in 1684 his observations about “living animals occurring in living animals”. However, the first observations on plant parasitic nematodes were made from the second half of 1800 to early 1900. They refer to Anguina tritici in wheat kernels (1867), Meloidogyne spp. (1875-1904) on several host plants, Ditylenchus dipsaci (1897) in oats. The sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, was reported in 1931 and the citrus nematode, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, in 1940. The turning point in Italian plant nematology occurred during 1950-1970, when investigations and control trials started on Xiphinema index, the natural vector of the Grape fan leaf virus. In the same period, the Phytosanitary Service of Pescara addressed much of his efforts on plant parasitic nematodes and the Section of Nematology is established at the Experimental Institute of Agricultural Zoology, of the Ministry of Agriculture, in Florence. Moreover, in 1970, the Italian National Research Councils founded in Bari the Laboratory (later Institute) of Agricultural Nematology Applied to Plants. Later on, nematology attracted also the interest of several other Phytosanitary Services, Universities and firms producing nematicides. While nematology was growing up, research objectives evolved from mainly faunistic and chemical control to many more to encompass all aspects of agricultural nematology and that for number and quality made Italian nematology one of the leading nematology at world level